Thursday, May 29, 2014

MY REVIEW:St. Martin's Press|May 6, 2014|Trade Paperback|ISBN: 978-1-250-04900-1"She helps people put their demons to rest.""But she has a few of her own...In the lockdown ward of a psychiatric hospital, Dr. Nadine Lavoie is in her element. She has the tools to help people, and she has the desire-healing broken families is what she lives for. But Nadine doesn't want to look too closely at her own past because there are whole chunks of her life that are black holes. It takes all her willpower to tamp down her recurrent claustrophobia, and her daughter, Lisa, is a runaway who has been on the strets for seven years. When a distraught woman, Heather Simeon, is brought into the Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit after a suicide attempt, Nadine gently coaxes her story out of her-and learns of some troubling parallels with her own life. Digging deeper, Nadine is forced to confront her traumatic childhood, and the damage that began when she and her brother were brought by their mother to a remote commune on Vancouver Island. What happened to Nadine? Why was their family destroyed? And why does the name Aaron Quinn, the group's leader, bring complex feelings of terror to Nadine even today? And then, the unthinkable happens, and Nadine realizes that danger is closer to home than she ever imagined. She has no choice but to face what terrifies her the most...and fight back. What a page-turner this one was! My heart was just pounding as the tension continued to build and build. It was like waiting for the damn to burst! And, burst it did!! I didn't expect a lot of the occurences and didn't see them coming, that's for sure. This was the first Chevy Stevens novel I've read and I'll be reading a second one either this week or next. Very good book.

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Story Description:Baker Publishing Group|June 3, 2014|Trade Paperback|ISBN: 978-0-8007-2218-0Anglican Mary Langton longs to marry for love. Puritan Barnabas Horton is still in love with his deceased wife and needs only a mother for his two young sons. And yet these two very different people with very different expectations will take a leap of faith, wed, and then embark on a life-changing journey across the ocean to the Colonies. Along the way, each much learn to live in harmony, to wait on God, and to recognize true love where they least expect to find it. This heartfelt tale of love and devotion is based on debut author Rebecca DeMarino's own ancestors, who came to Long Island in the mid-1600's to establish a life-and a legacy-in the New World. MY REVIEW:I felt so sorry for Mary in this story. She loved Barnabas so deeply and was such a good mother to his two boys, but Barnabas couldn't allow himself to love Mary in return. He was still too deeply in love with his deceased first wife, Anne. As patient as Mary was, no matter what she did, what work she took on, no matter how many people she helped, no matter the amount of meals she prepared or the sewing she did, nothing could make Barnabas say those three words of "I love you" to her. Barnabas's two young boys were good kids, but the eldest boy never accepted, Mary either and gave her a hard time, constantly. He was outright rude to her and went out of his way to make it known he was not at all happy that she was a part of their family. They decide to cross the ocean to the new world and Mary has her hopes set that this change of venue will also change Barnabas. Will this brave and daring move get Mary what she wants or will she always languish as nothing more than a glorified babysitter for his two sons?

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

MY REVIEW:Sourcebooks|May 13, 2014|Trade Paperback|ISBN: 978-1-4022--8248-5"Liz Trenow sews together the strands of past and present as delicately as the exquisite stitching on the quilt that forms the centerpiece of the story." Lucinda Riley, author of The Orchid House She Kept Her Secret for a Lifetime? A shy girl with no family, Maria knows she's lucky to have landed in the sewing room of the royal household. Before World War I casts its shadow, she catches the eye of the Prince of Wales, a glamorous and intense gentleman. But her life takes a far darker turn, and soon all she has left is a fantastical story about her time at Buckingham Palace. Decades later, Caroline Meadows discovers a beautiful quilt in her mother's attic. When she can't figure out the meaning of the message embroidered into its lining, she embarks on a quest to reveal its mystery, a puzzle that only seems to grow more important to her own heart. As Caroline pieces together the secret history of the quilt, she comes closer and closer to the truth about Maria. Page-turning and heartbreaking. THE FORGOTTEN SEAMSTRESS weaves together past and present in an unforgettable journey. I don't think I have much to add to the above words except to say I felt so sorry for Maria being locked away in a looney-bin almost her entire life because no one believed she worked a Buckingham Palace and had a brief affair with the Prince of Wales. The psychiatrists thought she'd made it all up in her head and proceeded with treatment, some of them barbaric like shock therapy and drugging her for weeks at a time. This was beautifully written yet an explosive read.

MY REVIEW:Algonquin Books|August 19, 2008|Trade Paperback|ISBN: 978-1-56512-613-8Carolyn Jourdan, an attorney on Capitol Hill, thought she had it made. But when her mother has a heart attack, she returns home to the Tennessee mountains, where her father is a country doctor and her mother works as his receptionist. Jourdan offers to fill in for her mother until she gets better. But days turn into weeks as she trades her suits for scrubs and finds herself following hazmat regulations for cleaning up bodily fluids; maintaining composure when confronted with a splinter the size of a steak knife; and tending to the loquacious Miss Hiawatha, whose daily doctor visits are never billed. Most important, though, she comes to understand what her caring and patient father means to her close-knit community. With great humour and great tenderness, HEART IN THE RIGHT PLACE shows that some of our biggest heroes are the ones living right beside us. Well, another book I read in one-sitting that I just couldn't put down. I love memoirs and this was a great read. I fell in love with Carolyn, she was so funny and felt so inept at her job and did actually screw up quite a number of things. She certainly wasn't cut out to be a receptionist and sticking to her job as a lawyer would be in her best intrest. lol The characters we meet in this story are also hilarious, although some are quite ill, the humour shines through anyway and Dr. Jourdan has such a calming and peaceful demeanor that he can keep the most tenuous situations under control except when it comes to his "tilting table!"Trust me, you'll love this memoir and before you know it you'll be turning the last page. I would like to see Carolyn pen a second memoir continuing with more stories and situations that she ran into while subbing for mother in the office.

Saturday, May 17, 2014

MY REVIEW:Iguana Books|June 10, 2014|Trade Paperback|ISBN: 978-1-77180-044-0Lexus Sam is a thrilling read full of suspense, mystery, intrigue, and lots of detective work trying to figure out who is who. Lexus Sam calls himself Lexus because he doesn't know who he really is, as he is suffering from amnesia. Lexus lives in Manhattan but he only remembers living in a beachfront house in California. The problem lies in the fact that the Manhattan apartment he's currently living in is leased out to someone by the name of Adam Williams. The owner of the building says that Lexus and Adam are the same person. And, Lexus has credit cards, photo I.D., a high school diploma from A.D. Strong Secondary School, and a birth certificate all in the name of Adam Williams. How can this be possible? What about Sarah? The supposed love of his life with the yellow rose tattoo that he remembers so vividly. They were in love and happy, weren't they? Lexus eventually gets himself involved with this Dr. Renesque whom I didn't like from the beginning. Something about this guy just rubbed me the wrong way. He proclaims to be able to recover memories through the use of hypnosis and regressing Lexus back through his life. For Lexus, the appointments with Dr. Renesque only make matters worse by confusing the whole situation to the point that Lexus himself begins to ponder this guy's motives. I felt like I kept wanting to scream at Lexus to STOP seeing this moron!! I was feeling more and more frustrated with each session he attended. Soon Lexus is so confused himself that he can't separate fact from fiction anymore. How is he ever going to find out who he really is and where he really belongs? Lexus Sam was a page-turner from beginning to end and one that I will be highly recommending to everyone. I'm also looking foward to more of BP Gallucci's work in the future. I would also like to thank Mr. Gallucci for sending me this ARC copy in trade for a fair and honest review. The words above are purely my own and written without input or persuassion from others. Great book, well-done!! Lexus Sam will be released on June 10, 2014. DON'T MISS IT!!

Friday, May 16, 2014

When Luke Crisp graduates from business school, his father, CEO and cofounder of Fortune 500 Crisps's Copy Centers, is ready to share some good news: he wants to turn the family business over to his son. But Luke has other plans. Taking control of his trust fund, Luke leaves home to pursure a life of reckless indulgence. But when his funds run out , so do his friends. Humbled, alone, and too ashamed to ask his father for help, Luke secretly takes a lowly job at one of his father's copy centers. There he falls in love with a struggling single mother and begins to understand the greatest source of personal joy. LOST DECEMBER is Richard Paul Evans's modern-day version of the biblical story of the prodigal son, a powerful tale of redemption, hope, and the true meaning of love. Each time I pick up an Evans' book I know I'm not going to be disappointed and this one was no different. Exceptional writing, storyline and characters make for a passionate read and one that you just can't put down. I read this in one sitting as I just couldn't in good conscience leave these characters alone until I knew each of them was safe and sound and had found what they were looking for. Believe me, you won't be disappointed in this story and I guarantee once you've read LOST DECEMBER you'll be looking for more of Richard's novels to fill your shelves with. This man has the uncanny ability to pen the most hypnotizing novels ever!

Thursday, May 15, 2014

MY REVIEW:Thomas Nelson|September 11, 2013|Trade Paperback|ISBN: 978-1-5955-4914-3Sometimes it takes a stranger to see you as you really are. Born and raised on sprawling Texas land, Margaret O'Brien prides herself on her competence as a rancher. But her father believes she's made for more than just dawn-to-dusk work. He wants her to have the love of a good man, to raise children, to build a life. But Margaret gave up such dreams years ago. She's convinced no man would have her, that the ranch is her life now. So when Margaret's father hires Daniel Cutler as a new foreman, she's frustrated and suspicious. Then an overheard conversation links him with a gang of bank robbers, and she's downright worried. Daniel swears he's not involved, but Margaret's not convinced. She knows the man still has secrets. But would a criminal be so kind and talk so convincingly of his faith? As a series of tragic "accidents" threatens all she holds dear, Margaret must decide what to trust: her own ears, her best judgment...or what her heart keeps telling her. SAFE IN HIS ARMS was a nice, light, lazy afternoon read. The story moved along at the perfect pace and was interesting enough to allow me to finish from beginning to end.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

MY REVIEW:HarperCollins Publishers|October 16, 2012|Trade Paperback|ISBN: 978-0-06-192231-2In a tiny hut in rural India, Kavita gives birth to Asha. Unable to afford the "luxury" of raising a daughter, her husband forces, Kavita to give the baby up-a decision that will haunt them both for the rest of their lives. Halfway around the globe, Somer, an American doctor, decides to adopt a child after making the wrenching discovery that she will never have one of her own. When her husband, Krishnan shows her a photo of baby Asha sent to him from a Mumbai orphanage, she falls instantly in love. As she waited for the adoption to be finalized, she knew her life would change. But she was convinced that the love she already felt would overcome all obstacles. In a braided narrative that unites the stories of, Kavita, Somer, and Asha, SECRET DAUGHTER, the debut novel by Shilpi Somaya Gowda, explores the emotional terrain of motherhood, loss, and belonging. As the story moves between the two families, one struggling to eke out an existence in Mumbai, the other grappling with the challenge of raising a brownskinned child from another culture, Gowda poignantly parses issues of culture, identity and familial loyalty. I fell in love with this book right from the beginning and absolutely adored, Kavita. She was such a strong, caring, and compassionate woman who never let a day go by without thinking of Asha. Kavita wanted so much to keep her but being a "girl" her husband said "no" so, Kavita had no choice but to put her up for adoption. A few years later, her husband, Jasu was also sorry he was so quick to make up his mind and dispose of Asha a 3 days old. I read this book late into the night until I'd finished as I was so caught up emotionally in the story that I just couldn't, in good conscience, close the pages on these families until I knew what had happened to them all. A highly recommended read. I'll definitely be looking forward to more of Ms. Gowda's work in the future.

MY REVIEW:Seal Press|October 19, 2010|Trade Paperback|ISBN: 978-1-58005-334-1Jessica O'Dwyer is the adoptive mother of two children born in Guatemala, Olivia and, Mateo.Jessica and her doctor husband went to hell and back trying to get their daughter out of Guatemala. It wasn't the most pleasant experience of their lives. Dealing with corrupt people, knowing who to trust and who not to trust was one of their biggest hurdles. From lost documentation to cover-ups it didn't seem as though this couple was ever going to get Olivia home to America. The strength and courage they showed in the face of adversity and threats was humbling. Jessica eventually moved to Guatemala to live there with Olivia in the hope of expediting the process but it still took over a year to get her out of the country. The reading was riveting and I read this book in one sitting, it was an amazing story to say the least. I commend them both on their dedication, motivation, and stamina to stay with the program against all odds. No matter what was thrown up in their faces, they trudged on and found a way through the muck and mire. Exceptional memoir!

Monday, May 12, 2014

MY REVIEW:HarperCollins Publishers|April 10, 2014|Trade Paperback|ISBN: 978-0-06-233851-8Debut Afghan-American author Nadia Hashimi's THE PEARL THAT BROKE ITS SHELL, the entwined stories of two Afghan women separated by a century who find freedom in the tradition of bacha posh, which allows girls to dress and live as boys until they are of marriageable age. "I think it is time we change something for you. I think it would be best if we let you be a son to your father." Kabul, 2009: Growing up in a family with five daughters and no sons, Rahima and her sisters can only sporadically attend school, and then, as they grow older, can rarely leave the house. Their mother struggles to support the family as their father becomes increasingly addicted to drugs. But one day their aunt, Khala Shaima, makes a suggestion: as a bacha posh, Rahima can become a son-dressing as a boy, with a boy's name, tread as a boy-until she is of marriageable age. She will be able to attend school and go to the marketplace. It's an old custom, but one that most of society turns a blind eye to when girls are young. And then Khala Shaima begins to tell a story that transforms Rahima's life: the story of her great-great-grandmother, Shekiba. Kabul, 1909: Shekiba, the daughter of a rural farming family, is disfigured in an accident as a child. When her parents and siblings die in a cholera epidemic, she has no one left to support her and is treated as little better than a slave in a relative's home until she is able to escape her life of drudgery by dressing as a man. Through a rare stroke of luck, she becomes one of the guards of the king's harem in a lavish palace in the capital city, and eventually manages to make a life for herself: one that ultimately includes a husband and children. Shekiba, at the turn of the 20th century, and her great-great-granddaughter, Rahima, in modern-day Afghanistan, have parallel destinies. Rahima relishes her newfound freedom as a boy-but when she is of marriageable age, her freedom ends. She and her sisters are sold in marriage to the family of a local warlord. Facing a dark reality with an abusive family, can she ever become accustomed to the way a woman must behave? Can she adapt and overcome like her great-aunt, Shekiba? And if she can't-will she survive? A riveting, poignant tale about family, freedom and determination, perfect for readers of A Thousand Splendid Suns or Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. I was pulled into this story from the very beginning and couldn't stop reading until I was done. I loved Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and A Thousand Splendid Suns and read this one with even more interest than the other two. I can't believe this a debut novel. Nadia Hashimi writes like that of a well-seasoned author and this is destined to become a bestseller for sure. I definitely didn't want this one to end and hope that there will be some sort of sequel. What a powerful read this was and one I won't soon forget!

Friday, May 9, 2014

MY REVIEW:Simon & Schuster|May 6, 2014|Hardcover|ISBN: 978-1-4516-2835-7In this fifth entry in the New York times bestselling WALK SERIES, Richard Paul Evans's hero Alan Christoffersen must say some painful goodbyes and learn some important lessons as he comes to the end of his cross-country walk to Key West, Florida. After the death of his belovd wife, after the loss of his advertising business to his once - trusted partner, after bankruptcy forced him from his home, Alan Christoffersen's daring cross-country journey - a walk across America, from Seattle to Key West, with only the pack on his back - has taught him lesons about love, forgiveness and, most of all, hope. Now Alan must again return west to face yet another crisis, one that threatens to upend his world just as he had begun to heal from so much loss, leaving him unsure of whether he can reach the end of his journey. It will take the love of a new friend, and the wisdom of an old friend, to help him to finally leave the past behind and find the strength and hope to live again. Alan mets some interesting people on his walk but he suffers immeasurable heartbreak on this particular trek but recovers enough to continue on to Key West. This walk means a great to Alan and you'll see why at the end of the book. I've enjoyed this series so much. One book a year for five years, but the nice thing is that each book can be read as a stand alone, you don't need to have read the previous books to enjoy the others. I'm really sorry to see this series end. I hope Mr. Evans changes his mind and pens a sixth and perhaps even a seventh book. I'd like to get some more information on Alan and Falene as I'm sure a lot of you would too! WALKING ON WATER was an enjoyable book to say the least that left me with a smile as wide as the Grand Canyon on my face!

MY REVIEW:HarperCollins Publishers|November 12, 2013|Hardcover|ISBN: 978-0-06-229437-1"What if the end is not the end?"One morning in the small town of Coldwater, Michigan, the phones start ringing. The voices say they are calling from heaven. Is it the greatest miracle ever? Or some cruel hoax? As news of these strange calls spreads, outsiders flock to Coldwater to be a part of it. At the same time, a disgraced pilot named Sully Harding returns to Coldwater from prison to discover his hometown gripped by "miracle fever." Even his young son carries a toy phone, hoping to hear from his mother in heaven. As the calls increase, and proof of an afterlife begins to surface, the town - and the world - transforms. Only Sully, convinced there is nothing beyond this sad life, digs into the phenomenon, determined to disprove it for his child and his own broken heart. Moving seamlessly between the invention of the telephone in 1876 and a world obsessed with the next level of communication, Mitch Albom takes readers on a breathtaking ride of frenzied hope. THE FIRST PHONE CALL FROM HEAVEN is Mitch Albom at his best - a virtuosic story of life, history, and belief. It's nice to get lost in the pages and believe for a while. Who wouldn't give anything to speak to a passed on relative just "one more time?" I know I would. Great story!

Thursday, May 8, 2014

MY REVIEW:Viking Adult|June 18, 2013|Hardcover|ISBN: 978-0-14-218099-0Benjamin Theodore Silver was a handsome, fit, runner with the finesse of someone many years younger. Running the track today he was putting men thirty years younger than himself to shame. With hair well-cut, and graying sideburns, someone once told him ten years ago that "he looked like a young Jeremy Irons. He liked that." Ben was a popular man having been in six other weddings the year he and Georgia had been married. Now he was the emergency contact on nine phones and he was a lawyer with an enviable law practice, an apartment on Central Park South, a house at the beach and club memberships. Other men loved, Ben with exception of Georgia's brother, Stephan Waltz. He had suspicions but women especially loved Ben, but the woman who loved him most was his wife, Georgia. Georgia Waltz had kept her maiden name when she married, Ben. Georgia was just fifty-years-old and she and Ben had two daughters: Louisa, twenty and Nicola, their 21-year-old Korean adopted daughter. Ben was in Central Park warming up for the marathon when a "blistering pain crept from his chest like a hot poker heading for his neck. He grabbed his left shoulder and started to crmple to the ground. Someone called 911 and he was loaded onto a stretcher and taken to the hospital, but he died of a heart attack. He and Georgia had been married for twenty-nine blissfully, happy years. Georgia receives a phone call from Ben's lawyer to come in for the reading of the Will. She and her two daughters are shocked beyond despair to learn they are flat broke except for $38,000 which will only keep them for two months if they're careful. The beach house is mortgaged to the hilt, he owes debts, the insurance policies are gone, both his daughters trust funds are gone and there is just nothing left. What are Georgia and the girls going to do now? They are literally penniless. What kind of man was Ben, really? Sally Koslow weaves an intricate tale that you won't believe. I certainly didn't see the ending coming and it shocked me sraight out of my chair! I thought I'd had it figured out but I was dead wrong. THE WIDOW WALTZ is a heartfelt, light read that you won't want to put down until you've turned the last page.

Monday, May 5, 2014

MY REVIEW:Random House Publishing Group|March 11, 2014|Hardcover|ISBN: 978-0-8129-9520-6The town of Henbane sits deep in the Ozark Mountains. Folks there still whisper about Lucy Dane's mother, a bewitching stranger who appeared long enough to marry Carl Dane and then vanished when Lucy was just a child. Now on the brink of adulthood, Lucy experiences another loss when her friend Cheri disappears and is then found murdered, her body placed on display for all to see. Lucy's family has deep roots in the Ozarks, part of a community that is fiercely protective of its own. Yet despite her close ties to the land, and despite her family's influence, Lucy - darkly beautiful as her mother was - is always thought of by those around her as her mother's daughter. When Cheri disappears, Lucy is haunted by the two lost girls - the mother she never knew and the friend she couldn't save and sets out with the help of a local body, Daniel, to uncover the mystery behind Cheri's death. What Lucy discovers is a secret that pervades the secluded Missouri hills, and beyond that horrific revelation is a more personal one concerning what happened to her mother more than a decade earlier. THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD is an urgent look at the dark side of a bucolic landscape beyond the arm of the law, where a person can easily disappear without a trace. Laura McHugh proves herself a masterly storyteller who has created a harsh and tangled terrain as alive and unforgettable as the characters who inhabit it. Her mesmerizing debut is a compelling exploration of the meaning of family: the sacrifices we make, the secrets we keep, and the lengths to which we will go to protect the one we love. Lucy, Lila, Crete, Carl, Daniel and Birdie are six of the main characters that you won't soon forget. This book had me pulled in from the first page right through until the last. For a debut novel it was an exceptional read and one I'll be highly recommending. I couldn't put it down and it didn't want it to end. I wish the author had continued on for a few more chapters at the end as there were a few items I would have liked to see resolved but I suppose I can make up my own version of how those things resolved themselves. Excellent read!!!

In this story of perseverance in the face of adversity, Regina Calcaterra recounts her childhood in foster care and on the streets - and how she and her savvy crew of homeless siblings managed to survive years of homelessness, abandonment, and abuse. Regina Calcaterra's emotionally powerful memoir reveals how she endured a series of foster homes and intermittent homelessness in the shadow of the Hamptons, and how she rose above her past while fighting to keep her brother and three sisters together. Beautifully written and heartbreakingly honest, ETCHED IN SAND is an unforgettable reminder that regardless of social status, the American dream is still within reach for those who have the desire and the determination to succeed. The first word out of my mouth after turning the last page was "WOW!!" What an unbelievable memoir this is. The abuse that these children unendured at the hands of their supposed mother is horrendous, especially Regina for it is HER story. These were industrious children who thought of ways to stick together under the direst of circumstances, all they had was each other. I thought their idea of stealing food from the grocery store using the boxes was pretty ingenious, although stealing is not good at any time, but these kids were literally starving to death. The ideas they came up with to keep them together just blew my mind, stupid children they were not by any stretch of the imagination. I commend them all for their courage and bravery and feel sorry for what Regina endured at the hands of her mother. The beatings were relentless and unbelievably horrible. This is one memoir I highly, highly recommend and if I could award it 100 stars, I would!

Friday, May 2, 2014

MY REVIEW:Random House UK|April 1, 2014|Trade Paperback|ISBN: 978009584827You're alone. You're vulnerable. And you have something that someone else wants. At any cost...If you like Before I Go to Sleep, you'll love this gripping psychological thriller. Claudia seems to have the perfect life. She's heavily pregnant with a much wanted baby, she has a loving husband, and a beautiful home. And then Zoe steps into her life. Zoe has come to help Claudia when her baby arrives. But there's something about Zoe that Claudia doesn't like. Or trust. And when she finds Zoe in her room going through her most personal possessions, Claudia's anxiey turns to real fear. Someone is cutting babies out of women's abdomens and leaving the women to die. Is Claudia suspecting Zoe? Why can't Claudia find a Zoe Harper listed anywhere with Zoe's photo attached to it. She keeps coming up at these dead ends. Claudia, a social worker, takes her job very seriously and this type of baby getting and ultimate murder is disturbing to her at best. Claudia herself is eight and a half months pregnant and her husband, James is away on a submarine in the Navy and can't be reached. It's a top secret mission so Claudia is left with his twin boys on her own with Zoe as their Nanny. This novel moved along at a frenetic pace that I almost couldn't keep up with. This is one of the best novels I think I'm going to read in all of 2014. I never in a million years saw the ending to this book coming, it shocked me right out of my shoes. I stayed up until one o'clock in the morning just so I could finish the book. There was no way I was going to be able to sleep with Claudia, the twins, Zoe, the police and other characters roaming through my mind. It was so good, I might just have to read it again will be definitely be recommending it to everyone. I think we'll see this on the bestsellers list shortly once word gets out about UNTIL YOU'RE MINE, a heart-pounding read for sure!

Thursday, May 1, 2014

My Review:Thomas Nelson|July 15, 2013|Trade Paperback|ISBN: 978-1-59554-782-8Amy came to Rosemary Cottage to grieve, to heal, maybe even find love. But there's a deadly undertow of secrets around Hope Island...The charming Rosemary Cottage on the beach offers Amy Lang respite she needs to mourn her brother, Ben. She's even thinking of moving her midwife practice to the Outer Banks community. It's always been a refuge for her and her family. She also wants to investigate Ben's disappearance at sea. Everyone blames a surfing accident, but Amy has reason to wonder. Coast Guard office Curtis Ireland has lost a sibling too. His sister, Gina, was run down by a boat, leaving him to raise her infant daughter. If anyone knew who little Raine's father was, Curtis could lose his beloved niece. Yet he can't help being drawn to Hope Beach's new midwife, Amy. He even agrees to help her investigate what happened to both Ben and Gina. Can two grieving people with secrets find healing on beautiful Hope Island? Or will their quest for truth set them at odds with each other and with those who will go to any length to keep hidden things hidden? As I was reading along I kept trying to figure this story out but it had me stumped right from the beginning and I certainly never expected the shocking end! ROSEMARY COTTAGE had a bit of everything: murder, love, intrigue, suspense, thrills, family feuds, and romance. It kept me guessing right up until the end which for me is a sign of a good author. I've read a few of Colleen Coble's other novels and they didn't disappoint me either. I loved this one!

WELCOME

Welcome to my little part of the web! The Book BagLady (that's me), reviews books for you! I like all types of genres: fiction, non-fiction, literature, women's novels, light romance, memoirs, biographies and autobiographies. The only type of books you won't see me review are: sci-fi; werewolf/vampire type novels; westerns; and heavy romance.
There is nothing better than spending a lazy day with a good book and a nice hot cup of tea!
I always try to be fair when reviewing books and though I particularly might not be too fond of one, it doesn't mean you won't like it.
Hope you'll have a gander at my book reviews and leave me a comment anytime you feel inspired to do so. Looking forward to meeting you all!
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nellie94[at]gmail[dot]com